ILLUS-3506

WEARABLE WORLDS: ILLUSTRATION, FOOTWEAR & ACCESORIES

Faculty: Matt Williams

Course Level: Junior, Senior, 5th Year

3 CREDITS

Footwear and accessories carry a lot of story: a hero's boots, a signature hat, a limited-edition sneaker. This Illustration elective uses them as a framework for teaching illustrators how to make a product feel believable and desirable, and how to build the visual identity around it. Students start by researching wearable objects in film, animation, games, and the footwear industry, then invent one original footwear or accessory concept and its world: who wears it, what it's made of, and what it costs. They develop the concept through a color and material story, a character illustration, and a product presentation board with illustrated title typography. Because illustrators in industry rarely make the product itself, students then extend the product's design language into the pieces illustrators do make: an illustrated currency for their world, and a branded product artifact such as an item card, hangtag, patch, or package that carries the product's look, name, and story. The semester ends with a class marketplace where students price, trade, and buy each other's products, making the critique a live test of what people want and why. Drawing on faculty experience in men's and women's footwear and accessories, the course connects illustration skills to fashion, product, branding, merch, and creative direction.

Capacity: 15

Registration Restriction: Major elective; restricted to Illustration juniors and seniors; open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor. 

Semester Offered: Spring